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2004 Forx Film Fest
Category: Fargo Filmmaking Wiki Category: Film Festival The 2004 Forx Film Fest was held November 12-13 at the Empire Arts Center in Grand Forks, ND. For the first time a separate student category was included. Because November 2004 marked the 85th anniversary of the historic Empire Theatre, now the Empire Arts Center where the festival is held, the weekend screenings began with the very first film to play at the theatre. Long-believed lost, a print of The Witness for the Defense was discovered in the Gosfilmofond Archives in Moscow, Russia. Elsie Ferguson and Warner Oland star in the 1919 Paramount-Artcraft melodrama. Oland, coincidentally, is a distant relative of Grand Forks resident Sheryl Smith, who served as executive director of the Empire Arts Center from 1997 until mid-2002. Awards and Award Winners ::Best Feature - Miss Mystic ::Best Short - Gum Fu ::Best Documentary - no entry this year ::Best Music Video - no entry this year ::Best Student Production - The New Girl ::Audience Favorite - Claynation and The New Girl (tie) The schedule for the third year of the fest was as follows: November 12 Friday Evening Session * The Witness for the Defense (1919) directed by George Fitzmaurice, 57 min. ::A restored rediscovery of the film that opened the Empire Theatre (at that time called "The New Grand"), originally running November 10-12, 1919. A woman's father forces her to marry a British officer for money, not realizing he is an alcoholic brute. When her husband is found dead, she is put on trial for murder and more complications follow. * The New Girl (2004) directed by Amanda Miseirvitch, 10 min. ::An attractive but shy new girl in school struggles to become part of the popular crowd. This student production was made at Eastern Washington University. * Mr. Jones (2004) directed by Chris Dorfschmidt, 58 min. ::A young man attempts to take control of his life but gets more than he bargained for when he starts following the impulsive suggestions of a dangerously close friend. :::World Premiere Feature! * Customer 152 (2004) directed by Jonathan Holbrook, 110 min. ::A young man declares bankruptcy to eliminate his debts, but can't resist getting another credit card, unwisely disregarding the fine print on the application. WHen his first bill comes due, he gets some alarming surprises. :::World Premiere Feature! November 13 Saturday Morning Session * Panel discussion on independent filmmaking in the region Saturday Afternoon Session * Statistic (2003) directed by Eddie Gonzalez, 14 min. ::Daydreams are no buffer against a cruel reality. Friendless, except for a few stuffed animals, a girl vows to make friends or kill herself. * The Dream (2004) directed by Kak Lee, 8 min. ::You can dream about anything you want. Can you? Shot on Super 8 film. * Claynation (2004) directed by Wayne McConnell, 8 min. ::Existential animation posing the silent question...who animated us and have we revolted? * Donor (2003) directed by Jennifer Hasbargen, 19 min. ::A woman comes to terms with her controlling husband, her failing health and freedom. Based on the short story "The Story of an Hour" by Kate Chopin. * A Doctor's Patience (2004) directed by Mike Stromenger, 9 min. ::A doctor must sift through fantasy and reality to help a patient with a troubled past. * The Dairie Queene (2004) directed by Kurt Olerud, 7 min. ::A bitter man tells his young grandsons a fable about a king and a queen. * Love Me Tender (2004) directed by Derek Breuer, 20 min. ::Filmed on 16mm film; not what you might expect from its title, unless... * Obscura (2004) directed by Bert Frishman, 13 min. ::After a girl buys a mysterious old camera for a school assignment, strange things start to happen. WInner "best character," 48-hour film competition. * Murray's History (2004) directed by Josh Minah, 9 min. ::W.M. Murray, historian, relates to his students the truth about history. * Miss Mystic (2004) directed by Christopher P. Jacobs, 95 min. ::A teenage girl is amazed to learn the truth about her parents, but she's in for a bigger shock when her eccentric fortune-teller grandmother decides to swap bodies with her--permanently! Saturday Evening Session * Roughcut of Hometown Assassins (2005) directed by Jonathan Hardesty, 90 min. ::Two farmers, bored with their careers, decide to take up contract killing in a town of about 300 people. :::World Premiere Feature! * Nudity on a Plate (2004) directed by Gavin Rehder, 5 min. ::A short film dealing with humiliation and physical inadequacy. ~ OR ~ A short film on dating. * Meat (2002) directed by Gavin Rehder, 5 min. ::A study of the visual appeal of meat. * Harm's Way (2003) directed by Eddie Gonzalez, 6 min. ::An introspective look into the fractured mind of a psychopath. * The End of the Rainbow (2004) directed by Tom Speer, 16 min. ::A comedic thriller with a dark and mysterious edge involving a businessman, his wife, three of his co-workers, and a hitman. * The Victim (2004) directed by Kak Lee, 5 min. ::When life doesn't go your way, you either take charge or become the victim. * Gum Fu (2004) directed by Charles Hinton, 1 min. ::Pang Ang Mie Butt, an evil master of all fighting style, tries with all of his being to take and master thw Winterfresh Gum Fu technique from Chang Wa, the good Winterfresh Gum Fu Master. * Hurt (2003) directed by Jennifer Hasbargen, 6 min. ::Two priests, two murders, a penance, and all is forgiven. * Looking for Lillian (2004) directed by Terence Brown II, 88 min. ::Experimental techniques and some improvisation simultaneously tell two separate stories that gradually begin to overlap. In one, a young man recounts events leading up to the mysterious disappearance of his fiancee, and in the other, an unmotivated artist turns to a disquieting new obsession after his girlfriend leaves him. :::World Premiere Feature!